Rabbitte urges investigation of 12-year-old’s arson death

LABOUR PARTY leader Pat Rabbitte has supported calls from a Dublin family for an independent investigation into the death of their son in a suspected arson attack.

Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of the death of Stephen Hughes, 12, who died from smoke inhalation after fire broke out in a makeshift pallet hut where he was having a slumber party with a friend near his family home at Rossfield Park, Tallaght, in the early hours of September 1, 2001.

CCTV footage recovered from a nearby property showed a man approaching the scene and hurrying away a few minutes later just before a small explosion set the pallets on fire.